(Note: the title of this message was borrowed from Rick Warren; however, the sermon itself is original)
This morning, we’re continuing our series on "How God Meets Your Deepest Needs," and today’s message is entitled, "Where To Get The Power You Need." Do you need power? Sure you do. So do I. And so do we all. Why? Because life is hard. I’m sure that’s no surprise for most of you, but life is difficult. It’s demanding. And every day is a new challenge. Sometimes what we need is the strength to persevere, the faith to keep trusting God in the midst of pain and sorrow. Sometimes what we need is wisdom; the ability to see clearly and choose the right path. Sometimes our need is for encouragement; at other times it’s for patience, or courage, or self-control. Every person here this morning needs power. And although I may not know your specific need, I do know this: that God’s power is sufficient to meet that need.
What I hope to do this morning is simple. First, I intend to show that God can and will supply the power you need. And I’m not talking about just the minimum that’s necessary to somehow, hopefully make it through the day. Not what you need just to survive, but to thrive and flourish. Because God’s purpose for our lives is not limited to preventing utter collapse. I know, there are days when you’d be happy to settle for that. But God isn’t satisfied with barely holding us back from the edge of despair. His goal is much more ambitious. He wants to make us into the kind of people who consistently experience joy, and peace, and contentment. He wants to bless us beyond anything we could have imagined; not only in the future, but in this life as well. He wants to give us abundant life.
"I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." – John 10:10
You may find that hard to believe. Perhaps you’ve been disappointed by life and you’re wondering if God even cares what happens to you. Nevertheless, it’s true. Just getting by isn’t God’s plan for your life. He has much more in store for you than that.
Let’s begin by looking at some key passages from the Old Testament.
"For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him." – 2 Chronicles 16:9
"He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. . . [T]hose who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. . . So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." – Isaiah 40:29-31; 41:10
Are you feeling weak and weary this morning? Then come to the Lord and be renewed. This is an exciting passage. Because it tells us that not only is God Himself strong, and able to act on our behalf, but He promises to make us strong as well. His power is not just external, but internal. Through His Spirit, He is always with us; His power is available to us twenty-four hours a day.
Likewise, in the New Testament, Paul writes:
"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!" – Ephesians 3:20-21
I can do everything through him who gives me strength." – Philippians 4:13
Do you believe that? If so, are you experiencing it? Are you experiencing God’s power as sufficient? Sufficient for faith? Sufficient for obedience? Sufficient for joy and hope? Sufficient for service and ministry? Or are you gasping for breath? If that’s the case, perhaps the problem is that you’re not consistently looking to God for the strength you need. Perhaps you’re looking to your own strength, or to someone or something else. And it’s easy to do. Because we are surrounded by alternatives to God’s power, all of them claiming to be just what we need; all contending for our trust and confidence.
Let’s take one example: anger. Anger can give us a feeling of power and strength. Sometimes, if we communicate anger in the right way, we can get other people to do what we want. We can punish them for hurting us, or offending us, or inconveniencing us. And that makes us feel powerful. What’s the problem, then? The problem is that anger is destructive. It doesn’t build up; it tears down. It corrodes relationships; it undermines trust and confidence; it hardens hearts. It creates fear and resentment and bitterness. But the most serious problem of all, for a Christian, is that it isn’t loving. Almost never does anger proceed out of a heartfelt love and concern for the other person. Usually, it’s just selfish. It’s purely the result of my feelings being hurt, or my goals being thwarted, or my desires being unfulfilled. It’s all about me, and what I want.
Anger may be expressed loudly and verbally, or silently, through hostile body language and passive-aggressive behavior. But in either case, it’s almost certainly sin. If you have a problem in this area, it may be helpful for you to speak with a counselor to help you understand the roots of your anger, but regardless, you need to repent and call it what the Bible calls it: Sin. Not a character flaw, or a personality quirk, but sin. For example, in his second letter to the Corinthian church, Paul wrote:
". . . I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder." – 2 Corinthians 12:20
Look at this list: quarreling, jealousy, slander, gossip, arrogance, disorder. Would anyone argue that these are acceptable for a Christian? Of course not. They are sin, and so is anger.
"The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God." – Galatians 5:19-21
In his letter to the Ephesian church, Paul again writes:
"And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." – Ephesians 4:30-32
And by the way, these commands apply to your family as well. For some reason, when people read passages like this concerning how we’re supposed to treat one another within the body of Christ, they don’t think of them as applying to the folks they’re related to. But men, the fact that a woman is your wife does not lessen your responsibility to love and respect her as a sister in Christ. You have additional obligations to her as your wife. But the obligations which you have to her as a fellow Christian are not lessened by marriage. And it’s the same for a woman married to a Christian man.
To summarize: not only is anger sin, but the feeling of strength and power that it gives us is a deception. It’s a lie. Anger doesn’t make us strong; it makes us weak. And the more we indulge our anger and give in to our rage, the more it weakens us spiritually. It weakens our relationships with others, and it weakens our relationship with God.
I could list many other false sources of power and strength. Some are inherently evil, such as violence, or drug abuse, or drunkenness, or pornography. Others are neutral in themselves, but can become harmful if we rely on them for our strength instead of on God. My question to you is this: where do you look for strength? When you feel weak, or discouraged, or in need of help, where do you go first? Do you go to God? Do you pray? That’s absolutely essential. Do you read the Bible? Do you find a Christian friend to talk and pray with? If you do these things, then you will find God’s power to be sufficient. But if you go somewhere else; if you rely on something other than God to help you through the rough spots, you will ultimately be disappointed. Like the man who built his house on the sand, you will find your foundations crumbling when the storm comes.
In the time we have remaining, let’s look at four examples of how we can trust in God’s strength and power. I hope you find them to be encouraging.
First, it’s by God’s power that we are kept in the faith; it’s by his power that we are prevented from apostasy, or falling away. Are we responsible to nurture our faith, to do all we can to strengthen it and deepen it? Yes. We are. But ultimately, it isn’t our power which guarantees that we will persevere; it’s God’s. Listen to these passages:
"My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all ; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand." – John 10:27-29
If we belong to Christ; then He is holding onto us, and the Father is holding on to us; therefore we cannot be lost. It is by their power, and not ours, that we are protected and preserved. In the same way, Peter writes:
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." – 1 Peter 1:3-5 (NASB)
By whose power are we prevented from falling away? By God’s power. Yes, it’s through our faith. But it’s the power of God that protects our faith. Why should this be an encouragement? Because we all experience times of doubt and discouragement. We’ve all known times when, if it were up to us, we might have abandoned the faith – just walked away, chucked the whole thing. Decided it wasn’t worth it. But we didn’t. And we know that we won’t, no matter what happens; no matter how bad it gets; because God has us firmly in his grasp and has promised never to let go. Ultimately, our endurance in faith isn’t a matter of us holding on to God, but of Him holding on to us.
Second, it’s by God’s power that we grow spiritually; it’s by His power that we mature in the faith. As Paul writes in his letter to the Ephesian church:
"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." – Ephesians 3:16-19
That’s a pretty good description of what we call "sanctification," the transformation of our character that takes place over time, by the Spirit’s work in our hearts. And it happens as a result of God strengthening us by His power. Does it depend on us? Yes and no. We have to exercise faith; we have to pray; we have to obey Christ. But it doesn’t depend on our power; it depends on God’s power. Why is that encouraging? Because we all have times when it seems that no spiritual growth is taking place. We make the same mistakes over and over. We find ourselves re-learning lessons that we thought were settled long ago. Areas of faith we thought were solid start to shift. Sins that we thought were under control rear their ugly heads again. We all go through times when we wonder whether we’re making any progress at all. And if we thought that it all depended on us, we could become very discouraged. But God is in control of our spiritual growth; it’s His power that’s changing us. And so no matter how thick-headed and slow we may seem, we know that He will transform us into the likeness of Christ, in his time and in his way. He will finish the job. As Paul wrote to the Philippians:
". . . I am sure that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on that day when Christ Jesus comes back again." – Philippians 1:6 (NLT)
Whose work is it? Not ours. God’s. And He will bring it to completion by His power.
Third, it’s by God’s power that we receive encouragement, and joy and hope.
"May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word." – 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." – Romans 15:13
Why is it encouraging to know that encouragement comes by the power of God? Because often we don’t know how to comfort one another. A friend is struggling, and we want to help, but nothing we can think of to say seems appropriate. If you’ve ever tried to encourage someone who’s grieving, or in pain, you know how helpless you can feel. There just don’t seem to be any words. But that’s OK. Because it’s not our insight or skill that brings peace. It’s not our words of comfort and encouragement that bring healing. It’s not in our power to kindle hope. Those things come from God, by his power. And so even if we aren’t experienced counselors, even if there’s nothing we can say or do that will make any difference, God can still use us to minister to one another. He will strengthen; He will encourage; He will bring joy, and peace, and hope overflowing. All we have to do is make ourselves available to be used of God, and leave the rest to Him. Not only that, but when we’re the ones who need the encouragement, it’s a relief to know that we don’t have to somehow produce a change of attitude by our own power. Instead, we can look to God to give us the hope we need.
Fourth and last, we trust in God’s power to change people and circumstances. I’ve often made the point that our joy and peace do not depend on circumstances. By faith we can rejoice in the Lord at all times and in every situation. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t pray for positive changes, and hope for those changes. We can pray for the salvation of our loved ones. We can pray for improvements in health. We can pray for increased finances. We can pray for a better job. We can pray to be released from a besetting sin, an addiction, an idol that has a hold on our heart. And as far as we have any influence, we can work for those things. But our trust must be in God’s power to bring about the desired result, as it please Him to do so. Our faith must be in His power and not our own.
"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!" – Ephesians 3:20-21
"Ah, Sovereign Lord , you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you." – Jeremiah 32:17
In conclusion, let me say this. You may be feeling very powerless this morning. Trapped. Boxed in. Unable to escape a bad situation. Under someone else’s control, and having little say over what happens to you. That’s frustrating. It’s stressful. At times it can seem almost intolerable. But let me encourage you with this thought: although you may not be in control of the situation, God is in control. You may be powerless, but God is not. He is exceedingly powerful. No matter who or what is constraining you, no matter how powerful they may be, God’s power is far greater. You may not be able to see a way out or a way through, but God can. You may not feel you have the strength to persevere, but God can give you that strength. You may not be able to bring about a change, but God is able, and more than able. And so instead of struggling and being frustrated over your lack of control, entrust yourself to God and put your situation into His hands. Then watch to see what God will do.
Let me close with one last verse, from the book of First Chronicles:
"Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always." – 1 Chronicles 16:11
Won’t you do that today? Whatever your situation may be, look to the Lord and His strength. Don’t look to your strength; or to someone’s else’s strength; or to any other power. They can’t give you what you need. Look to God and His strength. And there you will find what you need.
(For an .rtf file of this and other sermons, see www.journeychurchonline.org/messages.htm)
